The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The second ingredient includes turkey meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.

The third ingredient mentions lamb meal, yet another high protein meat concentrate.

The fourth ingredient is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The fifth ingredient is white rice, a less nutritious form of rice in which the grain’s healthier outer layer has been removed.

The sixth ingredient is rice bran, a healthy by-product of milling whole grain rice. The bran is the fiber-rich outer layer of the grain containing starch, protein, fat as well as vitamins and minerals.

We also note that the last three ingredients mentioned in this recipe are each a type of rice product:

Brown rice

White rice

Rice bran

Although they’re a mixture of quality plant ingredients, there’s an important issue to consider here. And that’s the recipe design practice known as ingredient splitting.

You see, if we were to combine all these individual items together and report them as one, that newer combination would almost certainly occupy a higher position on the list — probably making rice (not meat) the predominant ingredient in this recipe.

The seventh ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.

However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

The eighth ingredient is potato. Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates. Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The ninth ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With six notable exceptions…

First, tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient, a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.

Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.

Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.

Next, flaxseed meal is one of the best plant-based sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Flax meal is particularly rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

In addition, this recipe contains alfalfa meal. Although alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), this hay-family item is more commonly associated with horse feeds.

Next, we note the inclusion of inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and typically sourced from chicory root.

Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.

In addition, this food contains sunflower oil. Sunflower oil is nutritionally similar to safflower oil. Since these oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids and contain no omega-3’s, they’re considered less nutritious than canola or flaxseed oils.

Sunflower oil is notable for its resistance to heat damage during cooking.

There are several different types of sunflower oil, some better than others. Without knowing more, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this ingredient.

And lastly, this food includes chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Canidae Life Stages Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Canidae Life Stages Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, flaxseed and alfalfa meals in this recipe, and the lentils contained in some other recipes, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing just a moderate amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Canidae Life Stages is a plant-based dry dog food using a moderate amount of poultry or lamb meals as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3.5 stars.

Recommended.

Please note certain recipes are sometimes given a higher or lower rating based upon our estimate of their total meat content and (when appropriate) their fat-to-protein ratios.

A Final Word

The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.

The Dog Food Advisor does not test dog food products.

We rely entirely on the integrity of the information provided by each company. As such, the accuracy of every review is directly dependent upon the specific data a company chooses to share.

Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.

Each review is offered in good faith and has been designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food.

However, due to the biological uniqueness of every animal, none of our ratings are intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific dietary response or health benefit for your pet.

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt, consult a qualified veterinary professional for help.

In closing, we do not accept money, gifts or samples from pet food companies in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of our reviews or ratings.

However, we do receive a fee from Chewy.com for each purchase made as a direct result of a referral from our website. This fee is a fixed dollar amount and has nothing to do with the size of an order or the brand selected for purchase.

Have an opinion about this dog food? Or maybe the review itself? Please know we welcome your comments.

Our Labrador has been on Canidae lamb and rice for 10 years. She is beautiful, healthy and strong and has a lovely chocolate coat. We always get questions about what makes her coat so beautiful. We also have a red tick coonhound named Clementine who is two years old and she is also healthy and beautiful and has a beautiful coat. Our vets have never questioned our dogs’ diet. We have no complaints with Canidae nor the breed of our dogs.

Tracey Ryan

I’ve been feeding my female boxer Canidae for years now. She was on Beneful for a long time until I found out what crap it was. Not that she ever had any problems, but this was before I realized that most dog food around, especially in the chain grocery stores and pet stores, was awful. Went to a local small pet shop that sold more natural and healthier food options for pets. They told me to go with Canidae, and if I wanted to step it up, Orijen. Orijen was more expensive so I went with the Canidae. She’s been fine. We noticed a real difference right away from her coat to her activity levels. She’s 9 now and we just got another 3 year old boxer and he’s been eating it as well. We switched our older girl over to the Senior & Adult formula a week or two ago. No problems here.

Susan

Hi, when you open a bag of kibble it must be used within 2 weeks to 4 weeks, it goes stale & if it has Fish meal or Fish oil it can go rancid, so ur best getting the smaller bags & have nice fresh kibble.. I also feed Taste Of The Wild & my boy poos are finally firm & normal & he only does 2 poos a day…. I rotate between all the different formulas so he gets a different protein…

My puppy (german shorthaired pointer) had diarrhea for two and a half months. I took her to the vet every week basically. She had the most extensive testing done, because she was overheating after 10 mins of play as well, and hyperventilating and sometimes throwing up. To make a long story short… after a lot of time and money spent on this, I thought I would change her food from Canidae Life Stages in the 44lb bag that I had been feeding her since she was 10 weeks old until 8 months old to TOTW. Few days later… BAM. Regular poop. Still keeping an eye out for the exercise fatigue. But, I couldn’t afford any of the Prescription Dog Food that the Vet recommended. Great alternative. Same manufacturer as Canidae. Some dogs just react differently to different foods I guess.

Crazy4cats

Canidae also has a grain free Pure line that is rated higher on this site.

This is why you should never, ever trust internet comment forums. Some of the comments here are purposefully misleading and pure BS.

Skye G

*468cal, not 400. underestimated, my bad.

Skye G

I have fed my dog Canidae for most of her life. She does quite well on it. Unlike other brands that give her diarrhea, or break the bank, or BOTH, this food keeps her in good weight and digestively healthy, with a shiny coat, all at a reasonable price point. At ~400cal a cup, I feel it is a good bang for the buck. I continue to be very pleased w/ it.

Wanted to follow up on this comment. I fed my two dogs chicken and rice through the week and they immediately got better.

Then one day I ran out of rice and chicken and since I had nothing better I served this food. “It’s just kibble” I thought. “Somebody who knows better than me designed this food” I thought. By evening I was mopping up piles of vomit.

I’ve served my dogs everything, from canned Alpo to Orijen, and this takes the cake.

Dog_Obsessed

Have you taken them to the vet/changed foods? It isn’t necessarily the food, though that is a likely probability. I would recommend putting them on a bland chicken/rice diet for a few days, until the vomiting stops, and then slowly introducing regular (another) food.

No, thanks for the question and I’d like to clarify my short, angry comment. I bought a 30lb bag of Lamb in early March and was happy/impressed with the contents.
A week into this Canidae bag, both my dogs started throwing up. I’m not one to blame diet so I kept feeding the dogs from this bag. My two dogs kept throwing up. Now it’s at the point where I KNOW it’s the food, both of my dogs are ill, and I’m cleaning up copious amounts of vomit.

Though they’re both constipated, which is nice.

Dog_Obsessed

Why? Did your dog not do well on it? Not defending the food, just wondering.

So, I took your advice. The website you recommended in your comment has absolutely no reviews at all. Every link I clicked on appeared to be a paid advertisement.

aquariangt

Make some calls, your misinformation isn’t something that canidae has hidden

aquariangt

It’s fine to be uninformed, it’s another thing to be aggressively uninformed, just saying.

theBCnut

They make a small amount of their foods at Ethos and use co packers for the rest. They never planned to move all their food production to Ethos, though they would like you to believe that food made by Diamond is just as good as/identical to food made by Ethos.

Melissaandcrew

Only some of it that is shipped to the immediate area by Ethos. I called them last yr and they confirmed still using Diamond due to shipping costs and production capability. If it changes I would use the food..

Mainer71

Actually the do make the food in Ethos and have been for about 2 years.

Betsy Greer

Actually, Canidae is co-packed by Diamond. Canidae opened a new facility, Ethos, but has not moved their production there. Ethos operates primarily as a research facility.

Crazy4Buckskins

You must pay attention to which websites you read reviews on. Consumer Affairs is not a valid website for honesty or truth. That website is run by a bunch of lawyers who hire bloggers to write dishonest facts on ALL COMPANIES (trying to obtain lawsuits), not just dog food companies. Check it out for yourself. To obtain a pretty good honest review try http://www.dogfoodadvisory.com I’ve been using Canidae for a decade, for both my cats and dogs. Never had an issue.

FYI – Canidae is NOT made by Diamond. Some of the food is co-packed out of the state of the art Diamond facility in California. The rest is manufactured out of their Texas plant. Once the Texas plant is ready to take on the larger manufacturing of the food, the Diamond facility will NOT be co-packing for them any longer.

Also – Proctor and Gamble does NOT own Canidae.

Just thought I would clear up some misconceptions of this dog food.

Betsy Greer

Are you talking about the Canidae Pure foods?

Canidae is made by Diamond, so it’s anyone’s guess.

TAM

I’ve been buying Canidae grain free dog food for the last month and notice the salmon food smells really bad; the duck brand also began to smell very and now my dog won’t eat it. I was feeling her Natural Balance before (potato & duck) and someone told me the quality had gone down. Never had dry dog food smell this bad.

Shar24

that is discouraging

theBCnut

When they first opened Ethos, they put out a statement that led me to believe that all of the Pure line was going to be made at Ethos, so I definitely felt that they were being purposefully deceptive.

theBCnut

Only a small portion. Ethos is mainly a research facility. And they won’t disclose how to tell which manufacturer made which food. They just state “Canidae is Canidae” even as you are showing them that you got two obviously different foods that are supposedly identical.

Betsy Greer

The whole concoction of Ethos smacks of deception to me. I feel like its purpose was to serve as a distraction so we’d think that’s where Canidae was making all of their foods.

That is correct. Only some foods are made at Ethos, others still made by Diamond. You can try and ask Canidae which plant a particular bag was made at, but I think some folks have received the run-around asking that question.

Shar24

So they don’t use their own manufacturing facility for all of their food, only some?

theBCnut

There were 38 negative reviews about Canidae Life Stages, on the link you provided, since January 1st.

theBCnut

I don’t think they are owned by P & G, but if you live in FL, you would be getting food made by the Diamond plant that all the recalls and quality control problems are coming from, which is far worse than P & G making this food.
I have heard, I don’t know yet if it’s going to turn out to be true, that P & G might be selling off their pet food interests. Unfortunately, the likely buyers are probably worse.

Florida Potter

pets are dying from eating this food….don’t jeopardize your pet’s health to save poisoned food!!! Check this website for about 300 NEGATIVE reviews all posted in the past 60 days!!! consumeraffairs.com/pets/canidae.html
This is a very serious issue….with their cat food as well. the company was just purchased by proctor & gamble… they have not been responsive to serious complaints!!!

Susie Baranski

Glenn, I’m 60 years old and I have never followed mainstream ideas, but I know that mainstream people get very nervous when they see that there are others who choose to think for themselves – that applies to every area of life. So perhaps as you get older you may get a clue yourself.

Glenn Adams

you really need to get a clue!

Tracey South

Since I have a Schnoodle I would love to know if you mean all poodle hybrids, or just the Labradoodle or Goldendoodle. Since my dog is not referred to with the “d” before the “oodle” . I am not joking though. I bought this food recently decided to look it up here now am worried so I did not open it and will try to return it. My dog is now on Comfortis by the way and I would love to also know which flea meds doodles may have problems with.

Gilberto Elvir

i’ve been using Canidae now for about 7 years my siberian loves it i been giving Her the Grain Free Pure Sea and Pure Sky. Early in life i gave her the chicken & rice and all flavor and the lamb & rice but once they came with a salmon thats all she wants she’s been eating that for about 4 years now and i haven’t had a problem with at all. My vet give me complaint ever year i see her and say her coats is great and she has some good weight on her.

Paul Naski

Thanks for providing quick input! Both dogs were tested for lepto and it came back negative. They had vaccinations months back for it too. They did change to Vectra from Frontline in October so with that being so far back it probably isnt likely? How long were those dogs on it for?

HealthyDogs

Had they recently started or changed flea/tick meds? While anecdotal, it seems “doodles” are more sensitive to flea/tick meds, systemically. I’ve had two of my customers doodles have complete system failure while on one med. These dogs were not related. Other thought is Leptospirosis, which is hard to get a firm diagnosis. Lepto generally attacks either liver or kidney. Recently had a friend’s dog contract Lepto, was a bugger to diagnose, easy to treat. I am very sorry to hear about your dogs. Warmest sympathies.

Paul Naski

Hi, I am looking online for any posts related to Canidae as our (2) young Labradoodles went through liver failure. (10 month old passed this Monday and the 2.5 year old is in the hospital still with severe liver issues) Although we do not know 100% if it was the dog food, there are a lot of signs it was. The dog that is still alive started experiencing issues earlier than the dog who passed away. Symptoms of minor spitups started first, and a slight disinterest in food such as grabbing a small moutful of food and walking away from the dish (this is something she never did before!!!). Both dogs were having softer stools for many weeks but we contributed that mostly to them having been dewormed in the same time period and never thought of the food as the issue as we have been feeding Canidae for more than a year now. The symptoms for the other dog were rather abrupt, vicious throwing up/not holding down any food or water.

Our thoughts are the 10 month old who passed may have eaten a larger portion of contaminated food at one sitting which caused later symptoms yet more abrupt and eventually lead to his untimely death.

The 2.5 year old may have had very small portions earlier which is why she had earlier symptoms but didn’t get dealt a deadly blow in a large one shot. Bear in mind she eats 3 cups per day versus his 4 cups per day so his odds of hitting a bad cup were even higher than hers!

If anyone has seen or heard of anything close to this please let me know!

MJfromGA

I tried this as well. Decent price on Amazon. About $50 for a 44 lb bag. Didn’t go so well. Usually Nigredo doesn’t seem bothered by fish meal in dog foods, and I buy them because the fish is good for him so long as he cannot taste it. But he was able to taste/smell the fish in this food and rejected it 100%

I have no money to throw away so gave it to our other dog (I do not buy her food normally, another family member does) who is on a special diet (11 years old, has serious weight management problems)… but had to take a break because I cannot throw away a huge bag of food.

junkytrunk

I am sorry .. I don’t understand … where did I say that chemicals in food are good? where did I say that? You mentioned in your original post about vaccines.. I shared my opinion. you have your opinion about vaccines (and apparently a lot of other things) and I have mine. It just floors me that people are willing to risk their pets health with mass hysteria. The same mentality was responsible for a local person here that decided her horse didn’t need the EEE vaccine.. ($20 vaccine) …well.. her beautiful warmblood wasn’t protected by the ‘natural mosquito repellant oils’ and died. I don’t like HAVING to get my equine vaccinated but if it keeps his brain from swelling causing death (all from a bug bite) then I think the benefit outweighs the risk. said my 2cents.. i’m done.

Susie Baranski

Sorry junkytrunk, I just can’t cope with people who cannot think for themselves and use common sense. I just wish that everyone here would realize that both people and dogs thrive on natural foods, leave out chemicals and all adulterated products like dry food, it’s rubbish. (As is canned).

I have fed Canidae for nearly a decade and have never had any issues with the product, in the past or as of current.

aimee

I don’t know that the role of heavy metals is well elucidated. No mention of them as risk factors in Mayo’s Disease and Conditions section.

I did get some info. I contacted the Rabies challenge fund and was told that article the list is from was written by Dr Dee Blanco.

She got the list from Dr Pitcairn nearly 30 years ago, as she remembers it. So I went to Dr Pitcairn’s site and found that Dr. Pitcairn generated this list based on what he thinks would be seen in “chronic rabies”?? It all seems rather odd and backwards to me.

From what I can tell he embraces a classic homeopathy idea that “The effect of vaccination…. is to establish a chronic disease.” I’m not sure how a killed vaccine results in chronic rabies but apparently he is saying a dog vaccinated for rabies can exhibit the same signs of rabies but in a muted presentation.

So it appears that these “documented reactions” are not referenced or documented at all; no controls, no data of any type, nada, nothing.

Shawna

That’s pretty interesting considering mercury and aluminum have both been linked to alzheimers..

aimee

It’s true I want to see the data.

Shawna

Dr. Schultz as well as his University are associated with the Rabies Challenge Fund site and the list is on the site so….

I simply doubt that Dr. Schultz would allow himself and his employer to be associated with a list like this if he did not agree with and support the data of list/article. My guess is that he is somewhat restrained as to what he can actually state himself though. Since he gives advice to vaccine manufacturers and all.

There may or may not be studies on the rabies vaccine but is there studies on the adjuvants in the vacc?

“Predictable post vaccination time frame” — Dr. Blaylock states that just one vacc can cause encephalitis for up to two years. He also states.

“Normally, the brain’s immune system, like the body’s, activates quickly and then promptly shuts off to minimize the bystander damage. Vaccination won’t let the microglia shut down. In the developing brain, this can lead to language problems, behavioral dysfunction and even dementia.

A recent study by the world-renowned immunologist Dr. H. Hugh Fudenberg found
that adults vaccinated yearly for five years in a row with the flu vaccine had a
10-fold increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. He attributes this to
the mercury and aluminum in the vaccine. Interestingly, both of these metals
have been shown to activate microglia and increase excitotoxicity in the brain.”

Alzheimer’s happens YEARS after those vaccs.

Yes, I know that mercury isn’t and aluminum isn’t much used in pet vaccs but I don’t know what actually is however it still needs to preserve and others to cause an immune reaction.

I understand your need to see the science but I’ve never been that way. I like it when I can find it but I also understand that there is much I simply don’t have access to. I trust that the experts have access to those papers I don’t and that they know how to comprehend and report the findings. Not to mention their own anecdotal findings.

aimee

I don’t disagree that post vaccination neuro events can happen. I think they can be seen and would likely occur in a predictable post vaccination time frame.

What I disagree with is that vague behavior changes, in absence of other clinical signs, can be attributed to a rabies vaccine esp when a given time frame for their appearance is non- existent

Also I’m not sure that Dr Schultz would agree with those postulated behavior changes being attributed to Rvacc. The list seems more like a Dr. Dodd’s thing, though neither have their name attached to it.

I do agree it is pointless to look for research papers to support the first items on this list… they don’t exist.

Shawna

Hi aimee,

It was my vet who suggested the relation as do many holistic vets. But I think many will acknowledge that it is probably not one thing that leads to these extreme disease states. The vacc therefore wasn’t technically the cause but it was the trigger, a part of the cause.

Interestingly, while looking I found an article (that I didn’t bookmark — duh) that described Gizmo’s reaction to the tee except her issue was short lived while the described was for a much longer duration. She was completely paralyzed and unresponsive. A little more searching and the name for the reaction may be neuroparalysis versus a seizure? May

Dr. Russell Blaylock has some intriguing data on how vaccines can cause damage to the brain.

Between Dr. Blaylock and Dr. Schultz, this is one topic I don’t need to see the research papers on. At least not enough to spend hours looking for them. If someone else finds one I’d be more than happy to read it..

aimee

Poor Peanut. : (

Many years ago I wrote a thesis paper on using dogs as an OCD model in people. As I recall extreme sudden onset can be a feature in both species.

In the canine behavior literature I’ve never seen it reported that there is a link between RV and aggression fear/ CD etc. Most dogs are RV.How do you account for correlation?

Most people are not RV yet a subset population is. If RV triggered fear aggression and OCD I’d think we might see a higher incidence in people vaccinated for rabies. Yet this is not reported that I’m aware of.

Without references I remain skeptical.

Shawna

Peanut went from a normal puppy to EXTREME fear. She was fearful of everything and is still pretty bad. I think some pet parents (none here on DFA of course 🙂 would have put her down of taken her to the shelter where she would have been put down.

She REFUSES to eat out of a bowl. I’ve played hard ball a few different times over the years and she’s gone hungry for days. She won’t eat out of a metal bowl, a plastic bowl, a ceramic bowl, a wide mouth bowl, a small bowl a dinner plate, salad plate, dessert plate etc. She will eat off a plastic mat but gets spooked so easily, the mat can actually spook her, that she was getting the food on the floor. So, we just started feeding her off the floor. Not only off the floor but she won’t eat if not locked in a room by herself and close to a “get away” such as under the bed or under a nearby chair. I now put her food at the edge of the wing chair in my bedroom and she eats while still under the chair on her belly. Seems awkward to me but…. She WILL drink out of a bowl.

She jumps over painted lines and thresholds. She will jump over the garden hose if it is laying east/west but will walk over it if laying north/south. She jumps over the sidewalk sections and gaps between the sidewalk and driveways. She circles multiple times before going up or down stairs, before pooping and peeing, before eating and drinking.

Just recently she started becoming less fearful. They only thing I can contribute it to is the fermented fat product I recently started giving the dogs. Now instead of spending her entire day and night under my wing chair she comes out at dawn and will let the babies pet her. She also will now roll over when I approach her and ask me to scratch her belly. AND she’s started sleeping on the pet bed by her chair instead of under the chair. Oh, and she’s coming out of hiding during the day to get drinks of water.. Everyone has noticed these changes in her!!! The “fermented fat” product I’ve been giving her has higher amounts of a specific vitamin that Dr. Weston Price referred to as “activator X” now referred to as vitamin K2.. 🙂

She was even worse before my holistic vet recommended a homeopthic for her. Noticeable improvements but we still wasn’t anywhere near the dog we had at six months of age. I had also given some bach flower essences which helped minorly. The behavior vets recommendations including specific instructions on exercise etc didn’t help at all with the OCD symptoms but she was happy getting her way on walks. Walks took an hour or more of time I already didn’t have :). She likes to meander and smell the roses on walks. EVERY rose… 🙂 Herbal products or other recommendations didn’t help either.

One of the biggest improvements we saw after the homeopathic is that she would go out in the far part of the back yard (we have a HUGE, football field size, yard) and she would run like she was being chased — but in a happy way.. Then when it was time to come in she would toy with us in the cutest of ways.. She’d head towards the gate but she’d make MANY detours and expect us to herd her back. You could tell the disappointment if you didn’t play the game her way so we started heading in a little sooner so we’d still have the time to play the game.. 🙂

There’s more but you get the gist. 🙂

Susie Baranski

With a name like junkytrunk are you seriously giving me advice? No my dog will not get any diseases because we stay away from vets. Just like I stay away from mainstream medicine. No chemicals for me and none for my doggie. Only good things going in to our systems. Oh and it’s the one’s who vaccinate who are fearful. No it’s not the one’s who are vaccinated that keep mine healthy, that’s the same rubbish they tell mothers about their children. I never had my son vaccinated either and he’s doing fine age 27.

Shawna

That may be but Peanut’s case is EXTREME.. I’ll explain more tomorrow time permitting.

aimee

I can understand some of these reactions but for others, without a control group how would you know?

Genetics plays a role here. I can’t remember who did the work with the nervous pointers. They interact normally as young pups but when enter adolescence fearful behavior emerges on a predictable timetable.

Adolescence/young adult is a time that behavior problems emerge in both people and pets. RV is given right before adolescence.

We can’t know if Peanut would have developed OCD even if she was never vaccinated.

Shawna

HI aimee,

No, honestly I haven’t. I’m quite certain that Dr. Dodds and Dr. Schultz have access to publications I don’t have access to and will never see.

I too would be interested in anything on behavior (or any of the others for that matter) if anyone finds anything. I’ll see if I can find anything as well but it will have to wait till a different day. I’m going to drop off here soon.. 🙂

Anecdotally, my Pom Gizmo twice has had a mild seizure four days after getting her rabies shot. I was on the phone with her vet the second time it happened and explained what I was witnessing. Vet said it was a seizure ant it “might” have been caused by the vacc.

My other Pom Peanut was a normal healthy puppy and within months after her 6 month rabies shot she developed severe obsessive compulsive like symptoms that have continued to this day 11.5 years later. She’s better now than ever before but still not like she was pre 6 month mark. We’ve had her to a veterinary behaviorist, holistic vet, veterinary recommended supplement, herbs, exercise etc. 🙁

aimee

I’ve seen this list before but never any references in peer reviewed publication which document many of these wide and varied signs and the frequency that they occur. I’m primarily interested in the documentation of behavior changes. Have you seen any references? If so can you point me to them.

Shawna

Unfortunately those same vaccines can be the cause of some pretty serious diseases. Pathobiologist Dr. Ronald Schultz, Vet Dr. Jean Dodds and others discuss this topic often. Below are some documented disease/symptoms caused by the rabies vaccine.

For the record, I do give my own their puppy shots and then titer to confirm immunity. Then I don’t vaccinate for anything again except rabies as dictated by the law.

junkytrunk

I hope your dog doesn’t get any diseases that are easily preventable by vet – administered vaccines. Although – I like to think that most responsible dog owners get their pets vaccinated against diseases which decreases the likelihood of less responsible (or uneducated pet owners who won’t get their pets vaccinated due to fear or out of ignorance or both. Thank those of us who vaccinate our pets – they are the reason yours isn’t sick (yet).

Anna Martinez Sorokina

Thank you for your answer, I really appreciate! 🙂
The thing is that I wanted to know if anybody else had trouble. Or if new people is feeding Canidae and everything is OK.

The breeder of my puppy recommended me Canidae chicken&rice as she fed her dogs with it forever and was very happy with the results.
But then, about a month ago, she wrote to me and said that all her dogs got ill. First she thought they had a flu or something like that. But then, one day, she ran out of Canidae and bought another brand, and her dogs, as for magic, got well.

And it wasn’t only her dogs, but her breeders friends too.

So, my question – all of you who feed Canidae, have you noticed any changes in your dogs?

Thank you for your answers!

Crazy4cats

For sure, good luck!

Kristen Michelle Kuehl

I just spent 45 minutes in the pet store reading ingredients and the
Canidae Limited ingredient Lamb and rice was literally the ONLY one that
had absolutely no chicken anything and no fish anything, listed. I have
an English Bulldog who (true to its breed) has, from what I can tell,
an intolerance to any chicken (and I assume poultry) product. His puppy
food was Nutro Ultra Lamb and rice and he was fine with that. Once he
turned 1 and he went to the adult blend (of the exact same food) he had
HORRIBLE gas. We had not had this issue with him since we first got him
and tried Royal canin science diet then landed on the Nutro Ultra. Very
confused as to how the puppy blend can be okay but not the adult, I was
on the search again. We tried slowing him down during feedings, we
“took the blue challenge” (hahaha) and used the “no poultry” blend with
Blue Buffalo (it has fish in it) and that was a HUGE mistake. the same
night he had so much gas that I feared he would explode all over the
house. this went on for 3 days before I returned the food and that
brings us to today…. I found one other food that has no poultry of
fish at all but Canidae was more cost efficient. If he settles in well
with this then I feel comfortable after reading the information above,
that it will be a healthy choice. Not as healthy as I could use but as
close to it, that his little body can tolerate. I will keep you posted!
Wish me luck with our little Bastogne!

Pattyvaughn

I’ve found many foods made by Diamond smell that way to me.

SLB

Hi I agree with you I have gotten Canidae chicken and Merrick senior farm. Both of them smell like the farm… Like old horse manure it (and I was raised around horses). I alwys have gotten fairly good foods like Science diet or pro plan,each time they would change the formula after a while. I could tell by the color,texture and the dogs not liking it. i am surprised that a 4 and 5 star food smells yucky. i feel if it smells that bad it cant taste that good, my dog eat it cause i put parm cheese on it to help. i will be again looking for a a better smelling and tasting food. The merrick turns to mush when soaked in water(to prevent GVD)

Pattyvaughn

I wonder it the problem is a food intolerance after all.

GSDMom<3

I have 2 german shepherds (1 is 1.5 and the other is 9 mo) and a 7 year old Chihuahua.I was feeding them ALL different foods- so finding an all life stages food that works for all of my dogs works great. My older GSD has a VERY sensitive tummy and allergies. I’ve tried every food imaginable (Orijen, Acana, Taste of the Wild, Blue….The list goes on) with no luck. I even began preparing my own dog food for her as suggested by my vet.
I bought Canidae Chicken Meal for my other two dogs, who loved it. I was surprised when my girl took an interest in the other dog’s dry food it. She scarfed down the whole bowl (which was rare for her-esp with dry dog food)
After being on this food for a month and a half, her rash is gone, her coat looks wonderful, and she’s beginning to gain weight.
Although I wasn’t super excited about the ratings and some of the ingredients, it was a huge blessing to find something that has worked for her……and for my other two dogs as well.

Stephanie

I’ve had my dachshund on Canidae ALS for 11 years…recently he got sick — vomiting and diarrhea — and when I noticed the kibble didn’t look the same, I checked Consumer Affairs and found complaints of other dogs getting sick. This is not the dog food it used to be: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/canidae.html

So frustrating finding a good reliable food. My dog is my kid and I do not understand why the fda is not regulating this industry. These foods enter our homes when our dogs eat these kinds of unsanitary foods and get sick or carry illnesses. I really wish there was something that can be done.
I doesnt matter if its wally world brand kibble or natures variety raw food diets there are no real regulations that are stopping these false labels and with how many fellow Americans that own pets this is just outrageous, I feel that if we actually knew the real atrocities causing these illnesses (what does china qualify meat as chiken by product, the facts would probably point to violating our human rights .

Betsy Greer

Hi Robin,

I would switch, but then I wouldn’t feed any one thing alone for years.

The slightest ingredient change will throw your poor pup into a tail spin. His gut is only accustomed to processing this one thing and the first time you switch to something different, be prepared for some loose stools and that what you’re switching to might not be a success.

Find three or four foods your dog does well on, buy smallish bags and rotate between them. I would make sure they were all different proteins and even different brands as well. Add nice fresh toppers, like sardines or fresh cage free eggs, some fresh leans meats or cooked pureed veggies left over from your dinner. Or, you can try topping your kibble with canned foods. I’d also give him some pumpkin puree if he has some loose stools and to aid in the transition. You might also find that he’ll need some digestive enzymes and probiotics since his gut flora isn’t very prolific from eating the same food for a prolonged period of time.

One food that I find very easy to switch to is NutriSource. Since your dog has been eating grains, I’d choose the Adult Chicken & Rice. But, I’d make the next rotation to a food that doesn’t contain the proteins that he’s been eating. Prolonged exposure can set your pup up for a food intolerance / allergy.

Good luck!

Robin Davis

Again these posts make me rethink Canidae and try to find another food for my 12 year old Heeler.

Robin Davis

I have been feeding Canidae platimum for years. My dog is ok but now this thread worries me. I moved to a different state and wondering if I should change foods up. I’m almost to the end of my back. Any thoughts?